According to the Observer, the humble ponytail is the hairstyle of the summer. Most of the England women’s team, it reveals, have ponytails “swinging from their heads“. Better still, read this: “The ponytail is a feminist symbol,” said Jacqueline Kilikita, acting beauty director of Refinery29, a US-based lifestyle website. “It indicates power and confidence – showing your face to the world and getting things done in style.” I am no expert on hair, except to say I have rather less of it than I used to, but who am I to argue with an acting beauty director of a lifestyle website, except to question where the substantive beauty director is at the moment? Having her hair done?
I had been under the impression that women wore ponytails at sporting events for more practical reasons, like keeping their hair out of their eyes. There would surely be nothing worse than a player lining up what could be a match-winning penalty, only to be temporary blinded at the worst possible moment and costing your country the World Cup. But apparently, it is “the hairstyle also worn by busy women across the world.” So, how come so many men wear the humble ponytail, too?
Here, the answer is rather different. I am very much in the live and let live camp when it comes to wearing, dressing and doing what you like, although I will always draw the line at the absurd and pointless “man bun“. The real reason many men have ponytails is the same as why many men wear hats and caps all the time: male pattern baldness.
When I had lots of hair – and I’m afraid that one point I did – it never occurred to me to wear some kind of ponytail or an Alice band. I did wear head bands when playing football to keep the sweat and hair out of my eyes, but they were for practical reasons and not decorative. But let’s be honest: no man a lustrous and full head of hair would want to tie it up or wear it under a hat unless there was something they didn’t want us to see. Indeed, some of my fellow men tie their hair up and wear hats in an effort to fool themselves if not everyone else. Again, good luck to them and if it’s good enough for Johnny Depp, it’s good enough for everyone else.
Whether the ponytail really does “indicate power and confidence“, well, who knows? I just think that with our women’s football team in particular the look is practical and looks good. But then, I’m not an acting beauty director, although it could be my next career move.
